Chamber and committees

The information requestedis not held centrally. Costs will vary to some degree between locations and accordingto the economies of scale which can be achieved. Different factors will affect buildcosts in urban and rural areas, as will the nature and condition of developmentsites. Consideration also needs to be given to the cost of land in any development.

All 32 local authoritiescollect household waste for recycling. Local authority recycling rates are reportedon the Scottish Environment Protection Agency website at:www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/index.htm.

Householders can findout what recycling services are available in their area on the Sort-it website at:

www.sort-it.org.uk.

Research carried outby the Scottish Waste Awareness Group during 2005 and 2006 showed that 81% of ScottishHouseholders are now recycling at least some of their household waste. The latestrecycling results from the Scottish Household Survey, published in June 2007, alsoshow that 80% of householders are recycling at least one type of material.

The following tablelists the number of student enrolments at Scottish higher education institutionsand further education colleges from 1951-52 to 2005-06.

Students StudyingHigher and Further Education at Scottish Institutions: 1951-52 to 2005-06

Academic Year	HE Students	FE Students
1951-52*	15,010†	N/A
1961-62*	19,435†	N/A
1971-72*	37,800†	N/A
1981-82*	105,765	277,510
1990-91*	137,930	N/A
1991-92*	151,090	N/A
1992-93*	167,185	N/A
1993-94*	179,730	N/A
1994-95	201,880	212,075
1995-96	215,205	260,150
1996-97	238,095	314,530
1997-98	247,655	342,325
1998-99	255,965	350,445
1999-00	259,390	362,425
2000-01	262,915	414,395
2001-02	272,625	450,790
2002-03	267,025	430,055
2003-04	271,865	411,560
2004-05	276,705	398,120
2005-06	285,180	395,660

Sources: Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA), Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and Scottish Office statisticalbulletins.

Notes:

†These figures arefor university students only.

Student data priorto academic year 1994-95 is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive.

Some historic figures(shown as N/A) are not held centrally.

The following tablelists the number of student enrolments at Scottish higher education institutionsand further education colleges from 1994-95 to 2005-06 from outside Scotland.

Data on student numbersby domicile before 1994-95 are not held centrally.

Students StudyingHigher Education at Scottish Institutions by Domicile: 1990-91 to 2005-06

Academic Year	England	Wales	Northern Ireland	EU	Europe	Overseas
1994-95	21,055	665	4,575	4,840	1,305	9,505
1995-96	21,285	670	5,215	5,935	1,240	11,705
1996-97	21,535	670	5,790	7,345	1,540	13,515
1997-98	21,835	645	6,135	8,245	1,520	15,005
1998-99	21,675	675	6,185	8,320	1,695	15,910
1999-2000	19,465	615	5,915	8,550	1,710	13,815
2000-01	20,625	615	5,815	9,070	2,035	17,770
2001-02	21,315	665	4,580	9,385	2,170	21,930
2002-03	20,505	630	5,640	9,995	2,160	24,240
2003-04	20,220	625	5,550	10,585	2,120	26,185
2004-05	20,190	625	5,365	11,695	1,720	30,075
2005-06	21,145	650	5,195	12,745	1,860	36,540

Source: Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA), Scottish Funding Council (SFC).

The figures in thistable have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 are rounded to 0.

The number of workers employed in agriculture covered by the Orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board is 24,924. This is made up of 13,500 full-time and 11,424 part-time and seasonal workers. (Economic Report On Scottish Agriculture-2007 Edition)

Information on the numbers of workers employed in horticulture and forestry who are covered by these Wages Orders is not held centrally.

 

The following is the original answer (published on 27 August 2007); see below.

 

The number of workers covered by the orders made by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board is 67,011. This is made up of 26,097 full-time and 40,914 part-time and seasonal workers (June 2006 census).

 

Because of definitionaldifficulties, no routine figures are prepared on smoking-related deaths. However,research studies have estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heartdisease and stroke.The Atlas of Tobacco Smoking inScotland was published in July 2007 and drawn to the attention of all MSPs. It presents smokingprevalence estimates for NHS boards, councils, community health partnerships (CHPs)and Scottish parliamentary constituencies, and also for intermediate zones and postcodesectors. It also includes estimates of smoking-attributable deaths for individualNHS boards and CHPs. Thefull report can be viewed at: www.scotpho.org.uk/tobaccoatlas.

This study was basedon methodology developed for the report Mortality from smoking in developed countries1950-2002, which was published in June 2006 and included a section on Scotland.

http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~tobacco/.

http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~tobacco/scot.pdf.

Previous studies haveexamined deaths from conditions associated with exposure to tobacco smoke, but definitionsand methodologies vary. Please see the ASH Scotland website for information about these estimates http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/ash/3549.html.

Studies have alsoestimated the number of deaths from passive smoking. For example, please see thefollowing link for details of the estimates produced by one such study:

http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/448.aspx.

There are no plansto develop the Allandale rail station.

The STAG appraisal,submitted to Transport Scotland by consultants acting on behalf of FalkirkCouncil early in 2006, concluded that the development of an alternative park andride facility at Bannockburn would provide better value for money. It wasagreed in October 2006 that Bannockburn should be taken forward to a Design andAppraisal stage and that no furtherwork should be undertaken on Allandale.

I have asked MikeEwart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

Reception figures(2004) show that two out of three prisoners (66%) tested positive for all substancesof misuse on admission to prison.

Self-reported figuresfrom the SPS Prisoner Survey (2006) show that 23% of prisoners were worried thatalcohol would be a problem on release from prison, with 29% of prisoners reportingusing illegal drugs in the month immediately prior to survey completion.

Robust estimates of the size of Scottish drugs markets are not currently available. A research projectis currently in progress which is aiming to produce an initial estimate of the size/valueof illicit drug markets in Scotland, and of the economic and social costs associatedwith illicit drug use. This research is due to be completed in March 2008.